| Abstract: | The UV-degradation of an unstabilized and two HALS stabilized polyethylene (PE) films is described. The degradations are characterized by measuring the oxygen uptake, the formation of CO and CO2, the FT-IR spectra, the mechanical properties, the stabilizer concentration and the oxygen content of the film. The oxygen uptake of the unstabilized PE film led to the expected changes in the IR spectra and embrittlement of the film, while the oxygen uptake by the HALS stabilized films caused only minor changes. The differences between the results for the unstabilized and the HALS stabilized polymers are explained assuming that the initiation of the photodegradation of PE is due to charge transfer complexes. |
